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This building is really meant to bring together a range of resources for the university.
From expanded dining, relocating four separate locations into one,
but also congregating four fantastic student services programs into this one building
that were previously spread out, throughout campus, in seven different buildings.
The primary goal was to bring these various departments together,
but the secondary goal was to really create a building that would be representative of
the spirit and the excitement of students on campus
and the programs and services available to them.
There are a lot of different opportunities for different kinds of spaces for students.
Tables and chairs, soft seating.
And its really meant to be a space that students can make their own.
So there are a few fantastic moments within the building that we're very excited about
and we're in one of those spaces right now which is what we refer to as the ellipse
because its an elliptical shape room that is the main common and public space for the building.
It bridges between the geometry of Bay State Road and Deerfield Street, which is an obtuse angle
and so the rounded portion of this corner responds to the curved bays of the adjacent buildings.
But at the same time it is this beautiful double-height space that can be used with
window seats for studying and eating during the day.
There are balconies overlooks from dining down into this space
which really creates a focal point for the building.
One of the most exciting and rewarding moments for an architect is to sit by the sidelines
and to watch people start to use their buildings.
Both our firm and the contracting firm responsible for the construction of this project
have been very excited to see students using this building.
To see them both using it in ways that we anticipated but also to see them take advantage
of opportunities and to make the space their own in ways we couldn't have imagined.